Wednesday, September 30, 2015

What legacy will we leave the generations who follow us? That’s a question that is on the mind of almost every senior citizen.

Here is one very potent answer from Psalm 100:4-5:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Let us rejoice this day that we belong to a God who loves us intensely and has a powerful plan for our lives, generation after generation. His love for us and those who come after us represents a truly important legacy.

Let us lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving to God this day. His love endures forever!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

We make a conscious choice each day as to what emotion will take control of our lives. We can choose to allow discouragement or depression or unhappiness or fear or doubt to predominate in our thoughts.

Or, we can allow joy and happiness and encouragement and peace to take the reigning place in our lives.

The Apostle Paul urged the Christ-ones gathered at the church in Colosse to make a very deliberate choice. Notice his words recorded in Colossians 3:15:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Let us consciously choose this day to allow the peace of our Savior to rule in our hearts. And let us be thankful for His abiding Presence.

Monday, September 28, 2015

How do you greet each new day? Do you begin with thoughts of discouragement and dread? Do you think about the problems that assail you? Do you greet the day with complaining and dread?

Or, do you follow the lead of the German hymnbook?

When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries:May Jesus Christ be praised!Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:May Jesus Christ be praised!

When you begin the day, O never fail to say,May Jesus Christ be praised!And at your work rejoice, to sing with heart and voice,May Jesus Christ be praised

Beginning the day with a song of praise will start your day on a positive note. Even if you believe that you can’t sing, so what? Sing anyway! Follow the direction of the Psalmist who wrote in Psalm 95:1-3:

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.

God loves us with His everlasting love. Jesus died for us and rose again from the grave. The Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us ever since we acknowledged God’s gift of salvation. We are thrice blessed.

Therefore, let us start this new day with songs of praise. Doing so will put a glow on our faces and joy in our hearts.

The whole concept that we are not alone as we walk the road of life provides a very powerful and comforting message.

The Psalmist confirms this idea in Psalm 1:1-6:

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

By the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within those of us who belong to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, let us determine this day to follow the path God has laid out before us.

And, knowing that God watches over us, with great joy, let us proclaim God's love as we follow His leading and walk hand-in-hand with Him this day.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…”

—John 17:20

One of the most poignant and powerful passages of Scripture is recorded in John 17. Known to Bible students as Jesus’ high priestly prayer, our Savior prays for His disciples.

Toward the end of this marvelously eloquent prayer, Jesus prays for you and me. Here’s John 17:20-23:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Let us remember all throughout this day and every day that the very Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, has prayed for us. He has asked His Father to bond us irresistibly to Himself. He has asked God to bring us into complete unity.

Knowing that we are one with Him, let us boldly proclaim His mercy, love, and grace to a world who needs a Savior.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

We’ve become so used to living in this world and our current culture that sometimes we forget how truly dark it has become.

Many years ago I lived in south Florida for six months. One night, while visiting friends who lived in an area quite remote from the city, the power went out. It was a cloudy night that blocked any light from the moon or stars.

I was amazed how totally dark it became. We could hardly find our way around the inside of the house. Finally, the homeowner found a small flashlight. Even the smallest pencil of light made a huge difference in coping with the darkness.

In this world, where sin has darkened people’s hearts and minds, it sometimes feels so difficult to stay on the right path. Fortunately, for those who trust in God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, God has given a holy lamp to illuminate our way.

The Psalmist declares that this lamp is God’s Word. We have His Word in the Bible. And, the Holy Spirit makes God’s Word come alive in our hearts and minds.

Notice what the Psalmist has written in Psalm 119:105, 108:

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

This day, as we move out into a sin-darkened world, let us determine to allow the Light of Christ’s Presence within us to illuminate the pathway God has opened up before us.

Let us study and meditate on God’s Word and allow what God says to provide the light we need to follow Him.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

—John 4:24

Sociologists have deemed our current American society as “Post Christian.” In the harsh reality of daily life, I’m not at all certain that such labels mean very much.

As I look at the world around me, Christian values and ethics may well have given way to immoral and unethical behaviors.

Nevertheless, I notice that “worship” has not ceased in our society. People worship greed, deception, sexual depravity, juvenile celebrity, political ideology, and a host of other decidedly non-Christian influences. Even we “Christ’s-ones” seem to worship only slightly less offensive versions of these worldly influences.

From time to time it seems worthwhile to remember Jesus’ words recorded in John 4:23-24:

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

We who follow the Great King Jesus can ask the Holy Spirit to help us purify our worship. With God’s help we can lay aside the alluring objects of this world and give Him our 100% devotion.

May God grant us great joy as we worship Him in a spirit of holiness—a holiness given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Whenever some new concept, new idea, or new principle is really important and intends to have a lasting influence, it must first be thoroughly tested. Imagine what our space program would have looked like if, before thoroughly testing the rocket engines, we simply mounted a capsule full of astronauts and tried to blast off into space.

Most of you may be too young to remember how many times we had rocket engine failures during an unmanned test launch before finally perfecting a useable engine.

The Word and the will of God has been tested by millions of believers who have gone before us. The surety of His mercy, grace, and love stands secure.

The Psalmist gives testimony to this fact. Notice his words about God found in Psalm 119:140-142:

Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

As we begin a new day, we can rely on the security of God’s will and His Word. Trust Him this day to direct you. Listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Give all of your fears and anxieties into His loving care.

Move out into this day knowing that the promises God has made have been thoroughly tested. If God promised it, He will do what He said.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

“ Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s (bond) slaves.”

—1 Peter 2:16

In our society—especially in these days of rancorous political correctness—the word “slave” conjures up only the most horrific images. The idea that one human being would capture another human being and place that person into forced servitude is abhorrent.

But, did you realize that the Bible talks about the word “slave” in another very special and tender way? Please read these words from Deuteronomy 15:12-18:

If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free.

And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you.

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.

But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.

Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

Here we have an account of someone who voluntarily places himself or herself into servitude in order to pay off a debt. The key word: “voluntarily.”

Under Jewish law, in the seventh year, this voluntary slave must be set free. However, the slave may choose to become a “bond slave” for life: “…if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your family and is well off with you…”

This concept of “bond slave” represents a transformative view of slavery. It contains all of the elements of servitude, but wraps them in mutual love and commitment to the absolute benefit of both parties. And, this is something that does not happen apart from an absolutely amazing outpouring of God’s grace.

So, when the Apostle Peter writes the words recorded in 1 Peter 2:15-16, you can now understand that he uses the word “slave” in this transformative way:

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s (bond) slaves.

Belonging to God as a bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ is a high honor. We need to forcefully put aside the foolish mindset of our ignorant, politically correct society and wholeheartedly embrace our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom.

Among the good deeds fostered by our love for God and our obedience to Him, we must learn to treat everyone without regard to any differences that might try to pit us against each other. We must show God’s love toward everyone. We must see people as God sees them through His eyes of love.

Let us live uprightly this day as those who belong to God through Christ. And, may our good deeds give testimony to the great love of our God.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

“…since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.”

—Colossians 1:9

The Minister of Music and Worship at my church, Steven Skinner, has taught the congregation a little chorus that contains an amazing and encouraging message. Here are the words:

Somebody prayed for me,had me on their mind,took the time to pray for me.I’m so glad they prayed!I’m so glad they prayed!I’m so glad they prayed for me!

As the congregation sings these simple words, their sense of well being always increases dramatically.

The Apostle Paul conveyed much the same message when he wrote these words to the Christians gathered at the church in Colosse, as recorded in Colossians 1:9-14:

…since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Let us begin this day in prayer for one another. With such support and encouragement, we will surely have a good day.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Have you ever loved someone or something so much that it hurt? I'm talking about an aching feeling in your stomach that sort of wells up whenever you think about the object of your love.

As a seven-year-old little boy, I met a seven-year-old little girl while vacationing on the shore of Lake Erie. She was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. I instantly liked her and did everything I could to stay near her. I don’t think I actually spoke to her. I was far too shy to do that.

When I arrived home, I moped around the house for days. I kept thinking about this marvelous little girl. I missed her and realized I would likely never see her again. I told my mom that my stomach ached. My mom chuckled and told me I must be in love.

Of course, the feeling eventually passed. But, I never forgot that little girl, even though I never did see her again.

Love is like that—it burns impressions deeply into our souls. It’s important whom or what we choose to love.

The Apostle John recognized how important our love choices are when he wrote these words recorded in 1 John 2:15-17:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

For those of us whom God has called to Himself, we have an even greater responsibility to guard whom and what we love.

Let us choose this day to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our “neighbor” as we love ourselves.

Monday, September 14, 2015

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.”

—Job 37:5a

I do not believe in anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change. I believe it is the height of arrogance to suppose that anything mankind might do could wrest control of climate away from God.

I have worked long enough in the engineering community to observe many tightly held and universally accepted beliefs disappear in an instant when better data arrived.

I am keenly aware that the subject of climate change is fraught with a political agenda and directed by greed. Whether the motivator is income redistribution or grant money, significant outside non-scientific influences have come to bear on the so-called "settled science" of climate change.

Many believe the Book of Job may be the oldest writing in the Bible. Please note these words recorded in Job 37:5-7, 9-13:

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,” and to the rain shower, “Be a mighty downpour.” So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all people from their labor.

The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds. The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.

He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.

He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water his earth and show his love.

I’m quite resolute that God, and God alone, controls the climate. It is only the arrogance of sinful man that imagines any actions of mankind could have any effect whatsoever on climatic changes.

Because we belong to this God, we shelter under His wings. And that is truly the safest place to be.

May God forgive us for our arrogance and corruption, even as He frequently reminds us of both His mighty power and His unfailing, undying love.

Friday, September 11, 2015

“The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble;”

—Psalm 9:9

Today it will be fourteen years since that fateful day on September 11, 2001. Almost everyone in the United States who was alive and old enough to be aware of what was happening will remember exactly where they were when they received the news that our nation was under attack.

As Christians, we have a very different context in which to process these events. As horrible as they are—and they are ghastly—they are not unexpected. The Bible tells us that as time progresses toward the end of the age, wars will increase and hostility will become more common. Hatred will abound. Violence will increase.

This awareness does not decrease our horror and sadness at such events. It rightfully pushes to seek to see the face of God in the midst of such tragedy. Where is God? Where is His hand of mercy?

The Psalmist well understood such questions. He offers these words of comfort from Psalm 9:9-10:

The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Even in the midst of horrific occurrences, God is present. He will help us. He will come to our aid. We need to cling to the reality of God’s faithful Presence.

I was thinking, as I began to write this blog post, about the fact that the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941. By December 7, 1955—fourteen years later—the world had changed almost unimaginably. The United States and her Allies had defeated Germany and Japan. The first two atomic bombs had been dropped, thus shortening the war by months, if not years. We had entered another war in Korea—although it was not called a war by many; just a “police action.” The Supreme Allied Commander of World War II was now our president. Thousands of soldiers who came home from World War II and the Korean War had gone to college on the GI Bill, married, and begun to have families. In fact, in 1955, I was eight years old and a student at the Sixth Ward School in third grade.

Fourteen years after the events in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where do we find our nation today? It’s worth thinking about on this day of remembrance.

As you listen to the audio clip I have linked to below, I hope you will be prompted to remember that God is ever-present. With Him, nothing changes. He is the stable, loving, caring, merciful God who extends His hand toward us at every moment. As you listen to the clip, let us vow to always remember those who died on September 11, 2001. And, let us remember the God who loves us with His unfailing, undying love.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

“You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

—Joshua 24:22a

In our sin—for we came into this world already stained by sin and have only added to our sinful nature throughout our lives—we cannot serve God. We require the supernatural enabling of the Holy Spirit in order to bend our feeble wills to God's perfect will.

Just as God has chosen to redeem us from the just penalty for our sin, through the precious blood of Jesus, so God has also given us the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to enable us to serve God in obedience.

Joshua did his best to convey this sustaining reality when he spoke these words, as recorded in Joshua 24:19-22:

Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.

“If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.

On this day when we gather to worship the God who more than deserves our love and devotion, let us say with one voice, “We have chosen to serve the Lord!”

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Everyday we make scores of choices. In so doing, we are pulled this way and that. Some choices matter very little. Other choices have monumental importance.

After spending 40 years wandering in the desert, the children of Israel finally entered the Promised Land. There they found a multitude of strange new gods. They also carried the memory of the Egyptian gods they had left behind when their families had fled from Egypt.

The inclination to fit in tugged mightily on them. They wanted to belong. It was so tempting to abandon their faith tradition and begin worshipping these new gods, or to re-embrace the gods of Egypt, instead of remaining faithful to the God of their own forefathers.

Then, Joshua took a strong stand. His words are recorded in Joshua 24:14-15:

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Let us turn our backs today on all the other “gods” who beg us to serve them. Instead, let us devote ourselves to serving the one true God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the only one who loves us with His everlasting love.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

—1 Timothy 2:1

As I’ve suggested in previous blog posts, I really don’t like most politicians and government officials. I don’t trust them. I disagree with many of the policies they create. I especially don’t like their actions when they go against a strict, literal interpretation of our Constitution.

Sometimes our loving heavenly Father asks us to do something that challenges our selfish will. We know it’s right because the request comes from Him. However, in our selfishness we want to cling to our “we know better” attitude.

Such an instruction comes to us from the Apostle Paul writing to his son in the faith, as recorded in 1 Timothy 2:1-6:

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

Let us begin this day by obediently praying for those in authority, especially for those with whom we disagree. Doing so will -most certainly please the God who loves us.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Many things in life don't work properly unless they are in perfect alignment. Tires, for example, will not wear properly and supply a long and useful life if they are out of alignment.

In living our daily lives, we can become out of alignment with God's perfect will for us. This leaves us in a very dysfunctional state.

Fortunately, the Apostle Paul declares a solution to our alignment problem. He writes the following words in Ephesians 1:9-10:

…he (God) made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

We can rejoice this day that God brings all things into unity, or into alignment, with His perfect will through the life-transforming power of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's where we want to be—perfectly aligned in the center of His will.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Almost every believer has one or more passages of Scripture that he or she finds annoying. Mine is the passage in Romans 13 regarding earthly governing authorities.

I am annoyed by this passage because for the last nearly seven years I have been very angry with our national government. Almost never do I agree with the policies this civil leadership has adopted.

Nevertheless, the teaching of the Apostle Paul is quite clear, as found in Romans 13:1-7:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.

For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Let us obediently follow Paul's instruction. But let us also remember that our ultimate allegiance is to God through our Great King, Jesus. Above all else we are citizens of His Kingdom.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Typically, we live our days trying to serve our Savior without thinking very much about the fact that He might return to earth at any time.

An old preacher told me once that we should work for God’s Kingdom as if Christ wouldn’t return for a thousand years, but live as if He might return in the next moment of time.

We do the first part quite easily. And, regarding the second part, frankly we rarely think about the return of our Lord.

This was not the case with the Apostle Paul. He was very aware that Christ might return at any time when he wrote the words found in Romans 13:12:

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Let us live our lives today conscious that our Great King Jesus may indeed return at any time. Let us allow the thought that His return is imminent drive us to do all we can to share His great love with others this day.

Followers

About Me

Retired from full-time employment since 2003, Dean was raised in Bradford, PA, where he and his family were active members of the Hill Memorial Evangelical United Brethren Church.

Dean graduated from Houghton College (NY) in 1968 with a BA degree in Writing and Psychology.

Before retiring, he spent 38 years working as a fire protection engineer, educator, director of training, and business consultant in the insurance and consulting industries. Dean holds registration as a licensed Professional Fire Protection Engineer (CT), has been elected a Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and has received the Standards Medal from the National Fire Protection Association.

Dean has written over 370 magazine articles and book chapters for technical and business publications. He has written over 1,100 blog posts. Dean is also a nationally known conference speaker and seminar leader on various fire protection, adult learning, and communications issues.

In July of 1968, Dean married the former Shirley Willink, who remains his most faithful and best friend.